The SAVE Act, a bill pending before Congress, would require voters to present passports or original copies of their birth certificates in person when registering to vote or updating their registrations. How many people don’t have passports and can’t find their original birth certificates? How many women changed their names when they married? What about victims of natural disasters who have lost their documents?
Let’s be clear: The SAVE Act isn’t about safeguarding elections or securing our borders. It’s about silencing voters.
False claims about non-citizens voting in federal elections are a pretext for undermining our access to vote, and they spread misinformation about voting. Voters in every state are already required to affirm or verify their citizenship status when registering to vote. State election officials also have existing systems to verify voter eligibility and ensure accurate voter rolls.
If legislators really want to secure and improve elections, they should invest in upgraded equipment and expanded staffing for election administrators.
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez voted for the SAVE Act last time it came up before the U.S. House. The League of Women Voters of Clark County urges all Third Congressional District residents to urge her to vote no this time.
Nancy Halvorson
president, League of Women Voters of Clark County
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